1980–81 FROSH BOAT HITS THE WATER

In late October, the 1980–81 Men’s Frosh Boat went out for an early morning row. Mostly members of the Class of 1984, back for their 40th reunion, the following folks filled an eight:

Dan Cornew (bow), James Watt (2), Braxton Lathrop, ‘85 (3), Pete Lewis (4), Jim Pew (6), Ron Moller (7), Jan Boyer (8), and Steve Garwin (cox). They recruited a ringer from the Class of 1964 to sit in the five seat. Jack Elder. Pete Spivack, the boat’s three–man came out for the event. Bill Stinson, Steve Debenham, and Bill Hansen couldn’t make it. Hopefully, the original nine will make it out on the water the next time.

Jan Boyer did all the organizing, a significant achievement to talk everyone into turning out. Jim Pew, as one of the last–minute holdouts, reported, “I can attest to his persuasiveness.” Jan even had commemorative ScrewU t–shirts made with each rower’s name and the lyrics of the Blondie song he sang to motivate folks in the morning. In hindsight, maybe Jan’s singing motivated the crew to leave the relative warmth of the old boathouse because everyone wanted to get away from the noise. Steve Garvin traveled the farthest, coming from Australia, while Jan, who journeyed from Switzerland, earned second place in the travel prize.

With relatively calm water, the boat set up quickly. Sitting in the five–seat, Jack Elder ‘64, who still rows regularly, commented on how stable the boat felt. They even did a few 20–stroke pieces, which improved through the build.

All noticed the significant step up in boathouse digs. Gone are the Quonset tin shack, sagging dock, port–a–potty, and a fleet of aging Pococks. In its place, the current boathouse has multiple bays, a permanent dock, bathrooms with working toilets, and a fleet of Empachers. Though the boathouse differs significantly, what’s surprising is how much being on the water feels like home.